Community Investment Fund

The Community Investment Fund is an all-age Council grants programme supporting preventative, community-led activity in Cheshire West and Chester. Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations and groups can apply for funding that addresses the published priorities, helps residents earlier and strengthens local resilience.

The Council wants to make grant funding clearer, fairer and more consistent. The Community Investment Fund will support all-age prevention and earlier intervention, measurable outcomes and sustainable community services, while helping prevent, reduce or delay the need for statutory and high-cost support.

This supports the Council’s Community Led approach and the strategic direction of Children’s Services, Public Health and Adult Social Care.

The Community Investment Fund will support local projects that meet community needs and help deliver the fund’s priorities: Strong Start; Healthy and Independent Living; and Financial and Community Resilience.

This may include projects that improve wellbeing, support people earlier, help residents stay independent, reduce financial hardship, bring people together or make communities more resilient. The guidance for each funding round will explain the detailed scope and what can be funded.

Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations and community groups can apply where their proposal addresses the published priorities and demonstrates how it will deliver the agreed outcomes for Cheshire West and Chester residents.

Applications may be submitted by a single organisation or by a partnership or consortium, with one organisation acting as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must provide the information and documents listed in the application guidance.

The fund is being launched in phases so the Council and community organisations can learn from each round, see what works well and improve future funding rounds. It also allows a pipeline of priorities to be developed with the sector, so future rounds can respond to local needs and emerging opportunities.

The guidance document will include dates of upcoming phases and priorities to be considered.

Applications will be checked against the published guidance for that funding round. This will include whether the project meets the priorities, who it will help, whether it can be delivered, whether the proposed costs are eligible, proportionate to the activity and offer value for money, and how the organisation will show the difference it has made. Applications will be reviewed through the agreed assessment process.

The total funding envelope available for the Community Investment Fund in 2026/27 is £897,000. This comprises £425,000 Council funding and £472,000 from the UK Government funded Crisis and Resilience Fund. Funding for 2027/28 will be subject to the Council’s budget-setting process, confirmation of any external funding and approval through the Council’s governance arrangements.

Community Investment Fund will incorporate a proportion of the UK Government's Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting activity focused on improving individuals' and communities' financial resilience and strengthening community-level support. The Crisis and Resilience Fund outcomes are outlined in the guidance document.

Successful organisations will need to provide proportionate updates on their project. This may include who has been supported, what difference the project has made, what has been learned and how the project has helped the local community.

Applications will be made through an online grant application platform ‘Plinth’. Live application link to Plinth will be posted on the Council’s webpage for each application window.

If the organisation has not previously used the Plinth platform, they should use the published link to the application and follow the steps to register. For Plinth FAQ’s please follow the link below, which includes ‘A guide to filling in applications.’

Organisations should use the Council’s webpage to access all information about the Community Investment Fund.

For any further information please contact CIF@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk